2 theSun | TUESDAY MAY 5 2009

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No decision on Penanti,
says deputy PM
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime
Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
said Umno has not made any
decision yet whether to contest
the Penanti state by-election in
Penang on May 31.
Muhyiddin, who is Umno
deputy president, said the Umno
political bureau which met in Pu-
trajaya yesterday did not discuss
the issue.
“We discussed many things
but not that issue. We have not
decided anything,” Muhyiddin,
who is the education minister,
told reporters after visiting the
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka
yesterday.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Najib Abdul Razak, who is Umno
president, had said that the
Umno supreme council would
leave it to the bureau to decide
whether to participate in the
by-election.
The seat fell vacant following
the resignation of incumbent
Nik Aziz tells PAS members
to leave Penanti to PKR
KOTA BARU: PAS spiritual leader
Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has
told party members not to create
problems by demanding to field
its candidate for the Penanti
state by-election on May 31.
He said yesterday PAS must
keep to the agreement made
with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR),
one of its partners in the opposi-
tion pact.
“If it’s a PKR area, then
it’s their right (to contest the
seat). We should go back to the
agreement made. As Muslims,
we should keep our promise, so
we should not create problems
now.
“Just like in Kelantan, we
follow the agreement. When
we give a seat to PKR, whether
assemblyman Mohammad Fai-
rus Khairuddin of Parti Keadilan
Rakyat (PKR).
On reports that Internal
Security Act (ISA) detainee M.
Manoharan wanted to quit the
Kota Alam Shah state seat in
Selangor, Muhyiddin said de-
mocracy should not be abused.
“The people had made their
choice during the election and
now is the time to work for them.
However, of late, there seems to
be a trend in which certain par-
ties are encouraging resignations
without rhyme or reason.
“I don’t know what kind of
party it is which claims to be fair
to the people but acts to their
detriment. The winning candi-
date should serve the people.”
On Manoharan’s claims that
being an ISA detainee it would
be difficult for him to serve,
Muhyiddin said Manoharan had
until the next election to serve
the people. – Bernama
by reporters at his residence in
Pulau Melaka.
He was responding to the
demand made by Penang PAS
Youth chief Mohd Hafiz Mohd
Nordin that the party leadership
consider fielding a PAS candi-
date in Penanti after the seat fell
vacant following the resignation
of the incumbent assemblyman
and former Penang deputy chief
minister I Mohammad Fairus
Khairuddin on April 16.
The Election Commission has
fixed May 23 for the nomination
of candidates and May 31 for
polling.
On Sunday, PAS president
Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang
reiterated the party’s stand to
support the candidate chosen by
People’s satisfaction
is our KPI, says Najib
by Husna Yusop giving out instructions, it is done is the real KPI,” he said.
newsdesk@thesundaily.com politely. By ensuring this, I believe a Najib reminded the civil servants
very good and peaceful relationship and government administrators to
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister will be formed.” be creative and innovative in their
Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said Najib said that at times, the gov- approach and way of thinking.
yesterday the relationship between ernment tends to forget or take for He said innovativeness and crea-
civil servants and the executive granted that in the final analysis, it is tivity must be made a culture and
body must be one based on loyalty the people who are important. they should start from the school
and commitment to ensure they can “That’s why, apart from observ- system and continue in the public
achieve the Key Performance Indi- ing the KPI, I am calling on all of and private sectors.
cator (KPI). you, including myself, to always re- When productivity is combined
He said the KPI which he had member that the final benchmark is with innovativeness and creativ-
spelt out when taking over the to give satisfaction to the rakyat, be ity, the government would be able
administration is not only about as- it in terms of government service or to gain not only an incremental
sessing their performance in terms our effort to increase wealth, solve achievement but a quantum leap
Only of quality and quantity but also problems and all. for the benefit of the people and the
about ensuring the satisfaction of “If we can satisfy the rakyat, that country, he said.
seven the people.
bidders “When the
for relationship is Najib gives his speech while
based on strong Muhyiddin and the ministers and
Perak’s
Toyota
c o m m i t m e n t deputy ministers in the Prime
and undivided Minister’s Department look on.
Camrys loyalty, it is
not a one-way
pg 4 relationship.
The members of
administration
must ensure that
civil servants get
work satisfac-
tion, a service
scheme which is
improved from
time to time and
proper training
and career devel-
opment,” he said
at the monthly
assembly of the
Prime Minister’s
Department.
“They would
also take care of

BERNAMAPIX
they win or lose, it’s their busi- PKR, Mansor Othman, and that the each other’s feel-
ness,” Nik Aziz said when met decision was final. – Bernama ings so that when

Muhyiddin: Soi Lek will not defect

by Tim Leonard
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Tan
Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday said he believed
MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi
Lek would not defect to a Pakatan Rakyat party
as reported in the media recently.
Muhyiddin, who described Chua as “my friend”,
said the politician had seen him last week. He,
however, would not reveal why Chua met him.
“I know that as deputy MCA president, he
understands better the struggles of BN and what
the party stands for,” he said at a press confer-
ence after visiting Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka.
“I don’t believe he will (defect).”
He said it is up to the Opposition to make any
claims of wanting to attract BN politicians.
He was commenting on reports that Chua,
whose differences with party president Datuk
Seri Ong Tee Keat are an open secret, is mulling
defection to the Opposition.
Chua had reportedly admitted being courted
by Pakatan and was considering it an option.
Muhyiddin also he did not want to be drawn
into any squabble between the MCA leaders.
On another note, the deputy premier said
it is possible for Internal Security Act detainee
M. Manoharan to stay on as Kota Alam Shah
assemblyman despite his detention.
Manoharan was reported as saying he wanted
to step down as he is unhappy about not being
able to serve his constituents.
“As far as I see it, Manoharan’s position (as as-
semblyman) is not affected by the (detention) and
he is legally capable of carrying out his duties.”
Muhyiddin also said Pakatan Rakyat leaders
were being unfair to the people by relinquishing
posts they had won without any apparent reason
to pave the way for by-elections.
“It’s an abuse of democracy,” he said.
On another matter, Muhyiddin, who is also
education minister, said the government will not
decide hastily on the issue of teaching science
and mathematics in English.
“We will have a few more rounds of discus-
sion with various parties before we forward our
decision to the Cabinet. We don’t want to make
a decision in a flip-flop manner,” he said.
“We are prepared to wait a little longer.”

‘PKR, PAS will not interfere in Manoharan’s decision’

SHAH ALAM: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and
PAS will not interfere with any decision by M.
Manoharan to stay as Kota Alam Shah assembly-
man or to quit, Selangor Mentri Besar and state
PKR head Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said.
“Manoharan has indicated that he will make
a decision on whether to stay or leave after
meeting with DAP national chairman Karpal
Singh and we leave it up to DAP to decide.”
Asked if Pakatan Rakyat is ready to face a
by-election in Selangor, he said: “We are ready
anytime.”
It is the Barisan Nasional who is always
worried, he said.
In a statement released to Malaysiakini by his
wife S. Pushpaneela, Manoharan, who has been
in detention under the Internal Security Act for
17 months, said there is no use of him holding on
to the seat when he is not physically present to
serve his constituents despite repeated appeals
to the government for his release.
Manoharan, who contested and won the
seat while in ISA detention, beat incumbent
Ching Su Chen of Gerakan by 7,184 votes.